Valve structure



Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

cmrso STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN P. HEWITT, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON; NELLIE HEWITT ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID EDWIN P. HEWITT, DECEASED.

VALVE STRUCTURE Application filed November 13, 1922. Serial No. 600,488.

To a]! whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN P. HEWITT, a citizen of the-United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pressure reducing valves more particularly designed for ammonia machines and has to do most particularly with means whereby the valve may readily be cleared from scale and other refuse acting to prevent the valve from seating.

It is a. feature of my invention to equip such a valve structure with a valve close and seat, both relativel broad and fiat, and'both, in the plane of ow of the fluid when in an open position, so that the fluid will blow the foreign matter off from the acting faces of said seat and closure.

By reason of these broad flat seat and closure members, such foreign matter as may be interposed therebetween to prevent the 25 closure from seating, may be so completely pulverized when said members are relatively actuated, that the pressure fluid will. most effectively remove such matter when the members are in an open adjustment.

lit is also an object of my invention to provide means accessible from the exterior of the structure for manual operation by the operator for grinding or pulverizing any scale or dross between the seat and closure so that when the closure is un-Seated, in the usual operation, such matter will be blown away.

A further feature of my invention consists in a tubular body in which the seat is formed, and which tubular body is positively centered at both ends so that when the parts are turned into assembled relation, the seat body will not be swerved out of a truly alined position.

Further and additional objects and features of my invention Will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1, is a vertical sectional view of a reducing valve with the device of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2, is a sectional view of the tubular seatbody on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3, IS a bottom plan view of the closure.

Fig. 4, is a sectional view of a portion of the casing shown in Figure 1, with the valve structural part omitted.

F g. 5, is a detail view of the valve closure.

L ke characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

I will first describe that portion of the structure'which is old and well known, and which includes a casing embracing a cap section 1, and a base section 2. These sections 1 and 2, are secured together by bolts 3, and an interposed diaphragm 4, held in place between said sections, is subject to the low pressure side. This diaphragm is normally actuated in one direction by means WlllCll includes a diaphragm plate 5, engaged by a spring 6. The tension of the spring may be increased or decreased by a bolt 7 engaging a tension plate 8, against which one end of spring 6 abuts. Bolt 7, has threaded engagement with cap section 1, and may be locked in its adjusted position by nut 9. A pusher plate 1Q, having a. flange 11, is engaged by the diaphragm 4, and is guided by an upstanding annular flange 12, Shown formed integral with base section 2. The flange 11, of pusher plate 10, has recesses 13, whereby pamage of the fluid can not be shut off. Pusher plate 10, is also pro vided with a centrally disposed closure stem' engaging lug 14.

Between the top of section 2, and the diaphragm 4, is formed a low pressure chamber 15, a passage 16 being in open communication therewith and being connected by a pipe 17, with low pressure side of the refrigerating line, when the device is utilized in such capacity. In the base section 2, is formed a high pressure chamber 18 to which a pipe 19 is connected, and which leads from the high pressure side of the refrigerating line. The arrows indicate the flow of the pressure fluid from the high toward the low pressure side.

I will next describe what constitutes the device of my invention, in combination with what has been previously described.

First referring to my improved valve seat,

20, designates a tubular body having a seat 21, near its normally upper end, the seat being disposed internally of said body. Ingress openings 22, are disposed below-Bald seat'21. Now the seat end 23, is tubular and has an external diameter proportioned to closely and internally telescopean opening 24, in section 2. The opening has a recess 25 and end 23 has a shoulder 26, wh1ch jointly form an annular acking cavity in which a relatively soft an yielding packing 27, is disposed. The opposite, or in the present construction,-the lower end 28, seats in a recess 29, of a gland body30l gland body is tubular and has an exteriorily threaded extension 31, which is turned into and closes the lower end of section 2. A suitable, soft metal packing 32, is lnterposed between a polygonal portion 33, and section 2, which is a. harder packing than 27, and is only slightly compressible.

Now it will be clear that the upper end 23, of the seat body 20, has centered abutment with section 2, and the lower end 28, is centered by the gland body, hence, when the gland body is turned home, the seat body cannot swerve from a truly centered position. The gland body also supports the seat body in position. Further, it Wlll be noted that when the gland body 30, is unturned and withdrawn from section 2, the seat body 20, can also be withdrawn. By means of this arrangement, just described, I avoidthe necessity of threading end 23, into opening 24, which is a material advantage in construction and I insure the correct position of the seat body, not-withstanding this fact, by reason of said body being centered at both ends.

The extension 31, is hollow, and the lower end thereof forms a shoulder 34. A spindle 35 extends through a gland packing 36, tightened by plug 37, and a cap 38. Sandspindle has an exteriorily disposed crank 39, which is at all times accessible to be turned by the operator, for a purpose which will be later developed. Said spindle has a flange 40, which seats on shoulder 34, and limits movement of the spindle in a downward direction. The upper end of spindle 35, terminates in a key 41.

I will next describe my improved closure.

My improved closure comprises a cylindrical body 42, having a plurality of oil ribs 43 on the periphery thereof for engagement with the bore of seat body 20.

The top 44, is the closure portion which coacts with seat 21. Now it will be seen that both the seat and closure are relatively broad and flat, and in practice, I case harden both. A stem or post 45, projects axially of the closure 42, for engagement by lug 14. On the bottom of closure 42, is a groove 46, into which key 41, extends. Thus, the spindle 35 is non-rotatively but longitudinally movably connected with clo- 'sure 42. I purposely fit the key loosely in groove 46 to give play, so that irrespective of the service osition of the closure 42, the same may rotated by turning the crank 39. A spring 47, is interposed be tween the bottom of the closure 42 and the flange 40, which normally acts to engage the closure 42 against seat 21. On the periphery of body 20, abreast of admission to the interior thereof, I provide a screen 48, which is usual.

Now, assuming that there is 145 ,pounds pressure on the high pressure side and 18 pounds on the low pressure side, itwill be clear that when the low pressure drops below 18 pounds, the spring 6, will act on the diaphragm and through the post 45, to un-seat the closure 42, hence, fluid under pressure will pass in the direction indicated by the arrows from the high pressure to the low pressure side. Now this flow of fluid rushing under such high pressure abreast of the flat closure and flat seat, which are in the plane of low passage, not above it nor below it, in addition to the fact that the closure face and the seat face are broad and flat, facilitates removal therefrom of scale and dross which are not stuck to these faces. Thus, it is a feature of my invention to provide broad flat seat and closure faces in the plane of flow of the fluid. However, in closing, and in other circumstances, a small piece of scale might be caught by the seatmg closure 42, which would prevent the latter from accurately seating. This would resultantly distroy the differential of pressure, and in valves as presently constructed, the plant would have to be shut down, the valve dis-mantled, and the obstruction removed. However, with my improved de vice, the operator would simply impart to the crank 39, one or more turns, and rotation of the hardened closure against the hardened seat, would grind and ulverize such obstruction to such a state 0 fineness that the closure would seat perfectly, or if not, then, on the first opening movement of the closure 42, the ground obstruction would be blown clear from the seat and closure faces. In practice, and where this device has been successfully used, at least once a day, the operator imparts to the crank 39, one or more turns, irrespective of any trouble, or rather, in anticipation of any trouble, and by reason of the broad flat surfaces, the hardened faces are not only maintained clean, but uniform. This last advantage results from the fact that in turning the crank 39, the operator does not stop at the same place, hence, the closure 42 is always in a new position with respect to the seat 21, rotatively speaking, and this keeps the coacting faces of the seat and closure uniformly worn.

namesaa It is believed that the device of my invention will be fully understood from the foregoing, and I do not wish to be limited thereto, as regards this disclosure, except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim:

'1. A pressure reducing valve structure comprising a casing having high and low pressure connections, a valve for controlling passage of fluid from the high to the low pressure connections and said valve comprising a relatively broad flat hardened valve seat and a correspondingly broad flat hardened closure for engagement with Said seat, a tensioned diaphragm means subject to the low pressure for opening or un-seating said closure, and means accessible from the exterior of said casing for rotating said closure to grind the latter and said seat clear from scale while said valve structure is in service connection without changing the adjustment of said valve.

2. A pressure reducing valve structure comprising a casing having high and low pressure connections, a valve for controlling passage of fluid from the high to the low connection, and said valve comprisin a valve seat and a closure therefor, a iaphragm means subject to the low pressure for unseating said closure, a spindle mechanism manually rotatable from the exterior of said casing; and having longitudinall movabl and non-rotatable connection Wit said closure, and a spring interposed between said closure and a part of said mechanism for normally seating said closure.

3. A combined pressure reducing and ammonia expansion valve structure comprising a casing having high and. low pressure connections, a valve for controlling passage of fluid from said high to said low pressure connections and being subject to operation .by the low pressure, said valve comprising a tubular seat body having a seat and having endWise abutment in said casing, a closure movable in said seat body for coaction with said seat, a gland body secured to said casing and holding said seat body in position in said casin and a spindle manually operable from t e exterior of said casin and extendin into said gland bod and ing operative y connected with sai closure, said s indle abutting against said gland body to limit lon itudinal movement of said spindle in one irection.

4. A pressure reducin valve comprising a casing having high an low pressure connections, a valve controlling passage of fluid from the high to the low connection, said valve comprising a tubular seat body having an internally disposed valve seat, a valve closure movable longitudinally in said seat body and having a groove in its lower end, a gland body fixed to said casing and engaging said seat body to maintain the latter in position and said gland body havin an internal bore provided with a shoul er, a Spindlerotatable in the bore of said gland body and having a flange seating on said shoulder and provided with a key engagin the groove in said closure and projecting rom the exterior of said gland body, and a spring interposed between said closure and the flange of said spindle and normally actin toseat said closure.

5. combined pressure reducing and expansion valve structure for ammonia lines, comprising in combination, a casing having high and low pressure connections, a valve for controlling passage of fluid from the high to the low connection, said valve comrising a broad flat seat member and a road flat closure member both in the plane of how of the fluid when said members are in separated relation, and means for actuating one of said members from the exterior of said structure when the latter is in service without changing the adjustment of said members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I hereby aflix my si EDWIN 

